Although circuit breakers have heretofore been provided in the power supply circuit extending between a third rail and the driving motors of electrically propelled rail vehicles, a number of serious fires have occurred on such vehicles as the result of arcing upon operation of the circuit breakers, not removing the current-collecting shoe from contact with the surface of the third rail, and the occurrence of short circuits. Therefore, it would be most desirable that, should a fire, or the possibility of a fire, occur on board an electrically propelled vehicle, the operator of the vehicle be provided with manually-controlled means for effecting lifting of the current-collecting shoe out of engagement with the surface of the third rail thereby isolating the vehicle from its source of power.
Accordingly, it is the general purpose of this invention to provide a manually-controlled spring-actuated linkage or mechanism for, at the discretion of an operator, effecting lifting of a current-collecting shoe out of contact with the surface of a third rail supplying power to an electrically propelled vehicle.